毛線換季了-new season now

昨天利用午休走到slones square想要去採購打折毛線
沒想到～～棉線已經全部下架換成秋冬線
真是震驚又失望～～

只好悶悶不熱的走回辦公室

I went to slone square yesterday again. I was thinking to get more cathay.
Unfortunately they've been off shelved and there is only autumn-winter yarn now.
The lady said I may try Osford circus but I don't wanna go there....
Such a dissapointed afternoon.

Save the children in UK

今天收到knitting group寄來的網站http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/knitting
透過打一頂毛線帽也可以拯救小孩～
我想在炎熱的台灣應該很難想像英國的天氣
連我這個大人在冬天都常冷的發抖更不用說小朋友了
加上最近瓦斯跟電費又大漲價（british gas瓦斯漲35%,電費漲9%)
所以今年冬天是一定會很難過了！
我想我今天晚上就會放下我的fake-a-gamo開始來做善事！

I received a website from a member of london knitting meetup group
It's a campagne by knitting a hat to rescue kids
I think it's difficult for people who live in Taiwan to imagine how cold it is in winter in the UK.
Even me as an adult can't tolerate most of the time.
Plus electric bill and gas bill outrageously rise recently. I have no idea how we can survive through this winter!

I think it is a very nice thing to take part in. I will start knitting this from tonight!

fake-a-gamo I-start my fake-a-gamo

最近因為英國天氣莫名的好了起來所以駝毛的小外套打起來很熱,
開始轉換目標開打新包包！！
這個包包就是用之前買的cathey來打的～
第一次打棉線但手感很好！但棉線不像毛線那麼有彈性,所以tension就要比較注意！
British Summer turns to very warm these days, so I stop temporarily knitting my cardigan and start my fake-a-gamo. This bag is knitted by Debbie Bliss cathey which I bought in Peter Jones at 50% off!! This is the first time I knit by cotton. Cotton isn't like wool so elastic but Cathay is a very nice yarn to knit. I do like it a lot. Shame British weather won't allow me to knit many cotton clothes to wear here.
這個包包大概是在2006年的時候有狂熱一陣吧！但我最近才發現
所以我才開始加入開打行列～
如果有興趣的可以去knitlit
This bag is designed by some obssessed knitters( I really admire them to make such a nice job!! I wish someday I can be part of them!) If you're into this bag, please go to knitlit.
這個pattern有個很神奇的地方就是要用double wrap跟drop 11 stitches然後knit together!!
所以我昨天一整天都對著這個神奇的部分發呆！！
當然就一邊上班一邊若有所思～
然後因為打不出來就悶悶不熱～（當然對外就宣稱是因為天氣太熱所以發懶）
昨天下班前被我打出來（其實是因為自己看不懂那些英文吧～每個字都看的懂但是湊在一起就是不懂還虧人家寫的那麼清楚）
anyway,想出來後興奮的想要放煙火ㄟ！！
不過因為在上班不能太囂張！
I learned something new this time. Which is double wrap and drop. I didn't firgure out this amazing part at the first time. The more frustration I get, the desirably I want to figure it out. It turned out I kept thinking of it the whole day yesterday. It made me so upset cause even I tried to looked at it thousand times I still didn't get it. ( I claimed it was all because of the hot weather!) Thank God I finally worked it out before 5! So I tried it on the train back home( I couldn't wait to take out my yarn to try but I couldn't!!)Anyway, it's always nice to work it out!
29/7 完成度 25%
29/7 complete fake-a-gamo 25%

買到五折debbie bliss的cathay！！-at Peter Jones

前天走到Sloane Square的Peter Jones居然發現他有一堆毛線在狂打五折
所以不顧形象的在花車面前翻了起來
不知道是不是因為是夏天的關係 大多數的毛線都是棉質的
所以怕冷的我只能買棉線來打包包完全沒辦法打衣服
昨天翻到黑色的debbie bliss cathay的線 有七捲
只差我要打fake-a-gamon的八捲一捲
就狂翻～～翻阿翻的一下子是翻到rowan或Jaeger
本來都要放棄了喔～後來居然真的被我翻到～喔耶～～
所以帶回八捲線只要10.8英鎊！超high的啦！！

I popped into Peter Jones in Sloane square on Monday and accidentally found there's a big sale on yarns. I don't know is it because of summer, most of the yarn are cotton. It is a bit disappointed because I hope I can get cheap cashmerino aran or baby cashmerino.( Maybe it will never happen for those are popular and very good quality yarn from Debbie Bliss!)
I found 7 skeins of black Cathay in the end. It was 1 skein less to satify the yarn for fake-a gamon!! so I tried so hard to turn over the whole basket to find it. Thank God I found it in the end! It only costs me GBP 10.8 for 8 skeins!! What a bargain!!!

Margaret Cardigan-II-On half way now! 小外套已經打了1/2了

It was knitted nearly 50%. This is my first time to knit a clothe, so I spent a lot of time to figure out hte pattern. My colleagues told me they thought it looks very lovely and even them feel very attempted to start to learn how to knit! I didn't think it will amaze them so much at the very first beginning. The very first thought is to knit a cardigan to wear in UK.
I already finished a sleeve and the main part.
藍色小外套已經默默的被我打了1/2
由於是第一次打整件衣服 所以之前花很多功夫在看懂織圖上面
今天同事讚美說很美麗 圖形很立體 連他都有一點點心動想要動手了
說實在的剛開始真的沒有想到會有這種效果呢
只是很想來一件小外套抵擋英國的壞天氣
現在已經打好一支袖子跟身體的部分喔～接下來繼續打另一個袖子
就算是完工80%吧！

After neglecting gauge I did pay attention to my tension this time. I don't know was it because of the yarn over or I wasn't very good at control my tention. The tention was getting looser and looser. It was not a very good thing!! I have to decrease by myself in the end. I was quite worried about it. I even had a nightmail of failing the decrease!! I am so worried I need to unravel and redo again now!
本來開打前已經有注意gauge
但不知道是不是有yarn over後來打了之後長度還是不對
剛剛更發現 每一球可以打的行數越來越多！！
我這下真的完蛋了！！
接下來要自己算針數減針但那天還作夢夢到減針失敗一整個嚇醒！！
好擔心喔～～不會要拆掉重做吧！！！

Next challenge will be the cuff which will be needed changing neeldes to make it a natural wave and use crochet to finish. I haven't done any crochet so far.. ( It probably will be a very big task for me)
再來就要繼續挑戰收袖口跟領子最後還要用鉤針ㄟ（感覺好難～～）

I am thinking to knit a cleaning brush after this cardigan.
I hope I can finish it very soon!
最近很想在小外套完工前先來打個清潔刷！
希望兩三天就可以有好成果！！

終於完成shoulder warmer, finally..I finished my shoulder warmer

我終於打完了...拖了快三個月..好不好意思喔～～
但我是有苦衷的～～因為打完之後發現,這個作品的長度好像不夠長,所以穿起來好像小飛俠！（超傷心～～）
另外我被pompom困住,一開始上網找作法,然後看一看就因為沒有厚紙板（別怪我,英國文具很貴的）
後來好不容易用cereal的紙盒來當厚紙板,也從古董文具盒中翻出圓規
某天下午我終於做了我人生的第一顆pom pom..
但～～我覺得,那個pompom不甚滿意
所以就沒有勇氣作第二顆
就這樣..一拖再拖...昨天我想我總不能把我嘔心瀝血完成的作品丟在一旁這樣也不對
還是要把他完成看看會不會穿一穿就垂下來就不會那麼像小飛俠～～
所以..我完成了....


Finally I finished the project..It has been postponed for nearly 3 months. I feel so guilty about it. But it's not because I was lazy, Just because I wasn't satisfied after I finished it. I don't know is it because of the lenght isn't long enough, somehow, the ridge wasn't long enough to make it look smoothly lying on my shoulder!!

Besides, it is also a project with some many details. I have troubles of doin pompom.
First I thought I need cupboard to make it. But where can I get cupboard? Eventually I used Special K's box to make 2circles. But after that, I found so many different ways to make Pompom just use hands.( So frustrated..) When I made the first pompom, I didn't like it. That is also why I had no courage to make anothe r pompom to complete this project.
Anyways I finished it yesterday. I don't think it's right to set aide just because I failed some parts of this. I also hope the ridge will be longer because of gravity once I start wearing it.

穿到辦公室之後意外的得到熱烈迴響ㄟ～訂購單從一號排到五號（這樣好像也沒有很多）

不過因為別人的肯定讓我有勇氣穿出門

雖然穿了幾次小飛俠裝還是沒有垂下來（原圖真的比較垂）

不過這個有點寒意時穿真的很棒喔！！^_^

Everyone seems to like this shoulder warmer a lot in the office.

Thanks to their praise I finally have the courage to wear it more often!

Although the ridge is still not the shape I want

It's a nice stuff to have when the weather is a bit chilly!

Margaret cardigan-I 正在打的

This is my next target...I've successfully bidded some debbie bliss alpaca silk DK for this. So excited! get 10 balls for 23.5pounds(including freight!!) I will try to do this.before Fake-A-Gamon.

這是我現在正在打的!!因為我目前的昨天標到毛線所以終於可以來打第一件小衣服喔...
可能打完這個再回去打FAKE-A-GOMON
開始打了第一個pattern,因為線很軟所以非常不好打,另外這是我第一次打日本的織圖
所以研究好久終於看懂那些斜線與圓圈圈到底是什麼意思～～
原來是要拆開來看阿～我把他們擺在一起看所以翻遍參考書都看不懂那些記號～～
還好有一天突發奇想把圖形都拆開看,寫信去問羊咩,終於得到解答
羊咩順便告訴我用別針起針..所以今天花了一整天在研究別針起針
雖然羊咩的網站有圖片但我就是很笨看不懂那些圖片...
後來還是上youtube看了provisional cast on才看懂
（這還是晃了很多地方終於發現別針起針就是provisional cast on才救了我一命）
然後開始試打..才知道原來空針就是yarn over..
也終於搞懂什麼是中上三針併一針（但說實在的...這些都沒有別針起針難...)
anyway,開始上工了！希望後面不會又是很崎嶇的道路....